SC suspends Atty. Pamatong from practicing law for 2 years

MANILA, June 14 (PNA) -- The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday suspended Atty. Elly L. Pamatong from practicing law for two years.In a press conference, SC Public Information Office (PIO) Chief and Spokesman Atty. Theodore O. Te said that In the matter of A.C. No. 7330 (Judge Gregorio Pantanosas Jr. v. Atty. Elly Pamatong), the Court ruled thus – WHEREFORE, we SUSPEND Atty. Elly L. Pamatong from the practice of law for two (2) years effective upon finality of this Resolution. We STERNLY WARN the respondent that a repetition of the same or similar infraction shall merit a more severe sanction. The matter involves a civil case being heard in the court of petitioner Judge Gregorio Pantanosas, Jr. where respondent Pamatong was appearing as counsel.During a hearing, petitioner Judge had supposedly asked respondent to remove his copia (headwear worn by Muslims) while inside the courtroom, to which respondent demurred citing religious grounds and embarrassment because of his bald pate. The petitioner judge obliged but with the warning that he would no longer allow it the next time.Respondent Pamatong then proceeded to file a motion for inhibition where he excoriated the petitioner judge for supposedly being corrupt, particularly this part— xxx 6. Finally, in my thirty (30) years of law practice, I never encountered a Judge who appears to be as corrupt as you are, thereby giving me the impression that you are a disgrace to the Judicial System of the land who does not deserved (sic) to be a member of the Philippine Bar at all. The petitioner judge refuted all allegations of corruption, denied the motion for inhibition and required the respondent to show cause why he should not be cited in contempt.The petitioner judge filed a disbarment complaint against the respondent before the SC citing the language used by the respondent in his motion for inhibition and for publishing in the local newspaper an account of an alleged bribe and attributing the same to the judge.After initial proceedings, the SC referred the matter to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), which, after going through the procedures, rendered a Report and Recommendation for suspension from practice of one year.The IBP Board of Governors approved with modification the Report and Recommendation increasing the penalty to three years suspension.The SC agreed with the IBP that respondent's actions of using slanderous language and publishing an account in the newspaper and attributing the alleged act to the judge constituted misconduct but disagreed with the increased penalty of three years.The SC, considering previous cases of similar nature, reduced the penalty to two years suspension from the practice of law.Who is Atty. Pamatong?andgt He claimed he earned is Bachelor of Laws in UP and while there, he said, nobody could beat him in debates.andgt Pamatong ran for president twice but twice he was declared nuisance candidate. He ran for governor of Pampanga in 2007 and lost. and//pbs.twimg.com/media/CREeLEIWsAAi6Yc.jpg (Atty. Ely Pamatong with his supporters at Comelec office in Manila - from Pamatong FB page) andgt Pamatong, who goes around complete with military regalia, founded the USA Freedom Fighters of the East (USAFFE) to fight communists in Mindanao.andgt In 2004, Pamatong earned the moniker Spike Boy for leading his supporters in tossing spikes along EDSA which destroyed tires ofmore than 100 vehicles. This after the Comelec junked his presidential bid. In protest, he handcuffed himself at the Comelec office.andgt In 2010, Pamatong filed corruption and human rights violations against then Pope Benedict XVI and retired Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales.andgt For calling Comelec commissioners thieves, Pamatong was cited in contempt and jailed in 2010.andgt Pamatong filed disqualification cases against Senator Lito Lapid and Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao, describing theformer hardly educated”and the latter mentally very poor and not prepared to step into the ring of legislation,” respectively.andgt He was arrested in 2014 for the NAIA bomb plot. and//images.gmanews.tv/v3/webpics/v3/2014/09/640_2014_09_04_08_22_09.jpg Atty. Ely Pamatong during his arrest in 2014.